Sectors of industry
The sectors of industry and the economy explained
The main sectors of industry in which a company can operate are:
- primary
- secondary
- tertiary
- quaternary
Primary
The primary sector of industry is concerned with the extraction of The basic materials that are used to make a product or natural resources from the land. Any business that grows goods or extracts materials from the land would be classed as a primary sector business.
Examples of businesses that operate in the primary sector would be farming, mining, fishing or oil production.
Secondary
The secondary sector of industry is concerned with The process of making a product.. This would involve taking the raw materials from the primary sector and converting them into new products.
Examples of businesses that operate in the secondary sector would be car manufacturers, food production or building companies.
Tertiary
The tertiary sector of industry is concerned with providing a service. Services are activities that are done by people or businesses for consumers.
Examples of businesses that operate in the tertiary sector would be hairdressers, banks, supermarkets or cinemas.
Quaternary
The quaternary sector consists of those industries providing information services, such as computing, ICT (information and communication technologies), consultancy (offering advice to businesses) and R&D (research, particularly in scientific fields).
The quaternary sector is sometimes included with the tertiary sector, as they are both service sectors. The tertiary and quaternary sectors make up the largest part of the UK economy, employing 76 per cent of the workforce.
